Johor Lama Fort (Teluk Sengat)

Slightly less than half a millennium ago, this small village strategically guarded the upper reaches of the Johor River which was the seat of the Johor Sultanate. Though all that remains now are a restored earth mount and fragments of stone walls, a fort built in 1540 by Sultan Alauddin Shah - son of the first Johor Sultan - used to exist. The Portuguese who had taken Melaka attacked in 1587 and completely destroyed the fort despite it being defended by 8,000 of the Sultanate’s warriors.

From the Travel Times:
"The fortress made of rocks and turf is said to be one of the best defensive forts built along Sungai Johor to stop the Portuguese after the fall of Malacca. Though "tourists" are only taken to the hilltop fort which now appears as a plain well-maintained field surrounded by bunds, a walk around Kampong Johor will lead to more hidden bunds. Kampong folks say that the bunds cover 2.4 km through the rubber plantation surrounding the small kampong.

Also found here are two tombs in two different sites. One near the fort is unidentified while the other in the rubber estate belongs to the royal midwife.

Further upstream is Kampong Panchor which was made a ruling centre by Sultan Abdul Jalil Riayat Shah IV, the 11th Sultan of Johor, under the name Kota Panchor.

Besides the remains of the fort and still-hidden historical relics, the kampong which is surrounded by oil palm plantations takes pride in another two ancient tombs.

Drive through the plantation dirt road to reach an isolated mausoleum of Sultan Muzaffar Syah atop the hill in the middle of Bukit Seluyot. This is located by the river too. The third Sultan of Johor was not alone, for buried in the same resting place was his sister Raja Fatimah and nephew Sultan Abdul Jalil."